So Gordon got asked if he felt he deserved to play in the second half.

"Why wouldn't I?" he said. "Obviously, I made mistakes. But who doesn't make mistakes."

The game turned when Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic each scored seven points in a 22-4, third-quarter run, which negated a strong first-half effort.

The Bulls consistently had trouble guarding open shooters in transition while playing a matchup zone. It didn't help that Kirk Hinrich sat for most of the second half with foul trouble, eventually fouling out with 7:47 remaining.

Stojakovic's 29 points and Bibby's 27 led Sacramento, which played the second of a season-long, five-game homestand.

The streak served as merely one subplot for a young team that is still in search of an identity. Some Bulls also were in search of the visitors' locker room.

"We have six or seven guys who have never been in this building, to our hotel, in this city," Skiles said. "Those are factors."

But the NBA schedule marches on, which is why Skiles and general manager John Paxson say that they're putting more stock in their young team's effort than the won-lost record.

Kings All-Star center Brad Miller played on a 2000-01 Bulls team that featured seven rookies and, predictably, posted a franchise-worst 15-67 record. This Bulls team has six rookies.

"It's hard to win in this league when you're young," Miller said. "And the Bulls seem really young."

Only Curry and Chandler have experienced the last three seasons of the ignominious, five-season losing streak on this trip. In fact, 12 of the 15 Bullsand Skilesweren't even with the team at this time last season.

"The streak is very tiring," Curry said. "We're sick of hearing about it."